Cause Why Not?
by celticvampriss
Summary: -Their friendship was a certainty. Natsu never doubted it for a second. So what was wrong with kissing each other, if that's what they wanted to do?- NaLu. Rating will go up. Mainly Natsu POV, bit of Lucy POV. Now an on-going story.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This started as a small idea that begged to be written, but will probably be longer now. The inspiration first came from the lovely Doujin "OVA 4 Drunk Dilemma" by Joshdinobarney on deviantart. I suggest checking it out, the first scene is basically from the Doujin, but otherwise it takes place after Natsu gives Lucy a piggyback ride to the bathroom in the OVA Fairies' Training Camp.  
**

**PART ONE**

Natsu took another heavy step. Lucy hadn't made a sound in the past few minutes and he assumed she had fallen asleep on his back.

Great. First he has to carry her to the bathroom and now to her room. What a pain.

"Natsu…"

Her breath puffed next to his ear and he craned his head away from her.

"Natsu, can you fly like Happy now." She giggled into his shoulder and he tensed.

"Knock it off, Luce. I'm taking you back to your room. You're really drunk right now." He turned forward, teeth gritted. Just a few more steps to her room then he could be rid of her until she started making sense again. He had to use his feet to kick open her door, since moving his hands made her nearly fall and she did nothing to catch herself. Grumbling he stomped the last few paces to her bed and set her down on the covers.

"There. Now, just…sleep it off. I'll see you tomorrow." He turned around, feeling lighter now that he didn't have the entire weight of another person on his shoulders.

"Natsu…" She hiccupped. Then she leaned forward and latched onto his arm with both of hers. He was spun around, facing down the very open front of her robe. Any other time, he might take full advantage of a view like that, but right now, he just wanted to be out of there. She was already saying crazy things and the way she was looking at him made him want to back away slowly.

"Lucy." He scolded, trying to unhook himself. Her cheeks reddened and she tilted her head at him, eyes closed. She gave a hard yank and he was falling backward, right into her lap.

"Don't go…please stay…Natsu has to stay." Her arms moved over his shoulders and he tensed at her touch like she was made of electricity.

"Stop it. Your head is filled with sake—" He squirmed a bit, but she was moving to face him and her robes had fallen nearly off her shoulders, freezing him in place.

"But Natsu…" She was advancing on him and he was retreating. Her features were soft, genuine if a bit flushed. He held up his hand defensively, but he couldn't exactly touch her to stop her. The only thing in reach was her chest. Doomed.

"You always sneak into my apartment because it's so comfortable right?" Her voice dropped to a purr. "Or is it because you want to see _something_ else…"

He laughed, full of tension and unease. "Okay, Lucy, enough joking around. You're acting way out of char…character…Lucy? Lucy, what're you—" _Oh, shit._

Natsu could not remember lying backward, but somehow she was on top of him. What little integrity the robe had saved was now brushing against his chest. Her face hovered above his and his heart rate kicked up with adrenaline. Nothing was contained in that damn flimsy robe and Natsu's cheeks flushed when he felt her settle between his legs. She was too close. Too close…

"Just lay back and relax Natsu. There's no need to be afraid." Her nose dipped and brushed against his, sending a shiver down his spine. "After all, you don't mind sleeping so close to me, right?"

She was soft. Softer than her comfortable bed. Softer than her clothes could ever feel. It freaked him out, because he wasn't entirely sure if he liked it. He couldn't like it, though. That would be…cause they were teammates. This was getting out of hand.

"Lucy, please knock it off. We're teammates." He felt a puff of air over his lips and squirmed. "Lucy, come on, snap out of it. This is really weird. You're freaking me out—"

"Natsu." The way she said his name, it sounded different to him. Like she savored the taste of it…which was ridiculous, but still made something inside him jump. "Your body…it's getting warmer." She giggled. "I like it."

"Stop it. Stop this, Lucy. You smell like sake." He was yelling and scolding her and wiggling to try and escape, but her weight was completely on top of him. He could use his full strength, but he didn't want to hurt her. She just needed to back off. Give him some air. He just needed a minute of space because, right now, he wasn't sure if he truly wanted her to stop or not. Which was crazy.

"Aw, you're so cute like this." She inclined her head closer. "C'mon. Just a little bit…" her voice was breathy, low and not at all Lucy, "closer…Natsu…"

"L-lucy…stop…I—I…" He shut his eyes, cringing and preparing for the inevitable. He could not push his head any further into the bed; she was going to catch him.

She fell the rest of the way onto him, pushing firmly against his lips with her soft mouth. She hummed lightly against him, a sound that he felt and reacted to without understanding why. In all his life, he had never understood the need to kiss someone. He had never really held any interest in the activity, since it seemed boring and probably awkward and messy. Lucy wasn't messy, just warm and…nice. This wasn't awkward and it definitely wasn't boring. She was drawing away and he instinctively chased her before snapping to his senses.

The tops of their robes had fallen completely open, pooling around their waists as Lucy sat up and Natsu followed.

"That…actually wasn't so bad." He said. She was smiling, pale cheeks flushed and eyes hazy. He wanted to do it again. "Shoot." Natsu hesitated, eyes intent on her mouth and self control slipping. Just one more…it couldn't hurt right?

_But I can't. I can't. Lucy is my friend. And she's drunk. Oh crap. Why is this so hard? No. No. Stop…thinking…about…mouth…good…_

"Damn it." He had so little self control to begin with. "Damn it. Damn it. DAMN it." He captured her mouth directly, holding her there with just the contact.

"Mmm." Lucy arched into him, throwing him off because she was naked from the waist up and so was he. He didn't expect the sudden intimacy of her bare skin gliding up his. It stilled him, made him open his eyes. Hers were closed tight, her lips smiling against his rather chaste kiss. He didn't know what to do. His hands were in the air, not sure where to hold. The sake on her breath reminded him that Lucy wasn't thinking clearly and maybe she didn't actually want to be doing any of this. Guilt made him pull away, but she grabbed his shoulders and threw her head back, pulling his face into her neck.

Every nerve in his body seared when his face met her skin. She didn't smell like sake from that angle. She smelled like Lucy and some strange heady scent that made him bare his teeth against her neck. Some instinct was pulling at his brain, but he couldn't think to do anything about it.

"Mmm, Natsu. You feel so _good_."

His jaw fell open, shock and arousal mixing to further his confusion. Just what the hell was happening?

"Guys." The door was thrown wide. "Erza is coming." Gray retracted the fist he had used to push it open. "And she's really drunk and pissed off and…"

The color drained from Natsu's face. Lucy's naked chest pushed against his arms, where he was holding her waist, but she only hiccupped.

Droy and Jet followed after Gray, their panicked faces melting into jaw dropping shock. Lucy purred over Natsu's shoulder.

"Natsu, why did you stop? We were just getting to the good part."

He shook his head. "This is not what it looks like. I swear—"

"Where is Gray?" Erza's battle cry was the final bucket of ice and Natsu yelped as he tried to back away from the door. Unfortunately, this brought him into Lucy's lap and waiting embrace. She cooed in his ear and he struggled like mad to get away from her, but fear and panic hindered his motor skills.

Erza was at the door. Jet, Droy, and Gray scrambled to get out of her way as they cowered in the corner. Jet and Droy slipped away from Gray, since he was the one she was looking for.

"That slime ball was all over Juvia." Erza accused, seething.

Gray lifted his hands defensively. "That wasn't _my_ fault."

The sword in her hand halted when she noticed the scene on the bed. Natsu looked for a way out, his head turning to find a place to hide. Lucy was stroking a finger up and down his arm and he desperately wanted her to quit already.

"Natsu?" Erza looked from his bare chest, to Lucy's. Then her eyes narrowed and Natsu felt his heart sink. "What the hell…"

"No, Erza, this isn't what…I mean…"

Her sword shifted from Gray to point right between Natsu's eyes. "What the hell are you doing to Lucy?"

"N-nothing. I swear." Natsu sputtered, but it wasn't enough. Erza was too far gone.

"You perverted oversized reptile." Erza screamed. "Taking advantage of your teammate? You and Gray are going to DIE."

The calm of the resort was punctured by battle cries and pleading screams. Gray and Natsu ran for their very lives and Erza followed, fire in her eyes and a sword swinging freely in her hand. It didn't stop until Gray and Natsu were defeated. Neither of them felt it was particularly fair and they muttered as much as their wounds throbbed with pain. It would be a few hours before they could move at all. When they could, they turned on each other and another small battle ensued. Though, it didn't last long. They were both pretty beat up already.

It was well into the night when Natsu headed for his room to finally get some sleep. He had eaten, so he felt better physically. Erza hadn't been at full strength because she'd been drunk, so that was something. His hands were behind his head as he walked.

He wanted to be annoyed with Lucy for getting him into trouble. It was all her fault. He stuck out his bottom lip, knowing that he wasn't annoyed. He was too interested in the idea of kissing her. It actually hadn't felt bad. He could see the appeal, now that he'd experienced it for himself. Did all kissing feel like that or was it just Lucy? She did have a pleasing scent that meant she had to taste good too. Natsu frowned. What made him think about tasting her?

Anyway, he figured it wasn't likely to ever happen again. He was disappointed, but it was probably true. Lucy hadn't ever thought of kissing him before. He opened the door to his room and stepped inside. He shrugged off his robe and put on a pair of shorts to sleep in. He looked out the window briefly, glaring at the scene that he didn't recognize. Eh, he would be home shortly anyway.

He fell backward onto his bed when he heard the door open and shut quietly. Sitting upright, Natsu prepared for an intruder, raising his hands, but then Lucy stepped into the light from the window.

Her face was lowered, hiding her expression under her bangs. She wasn't wearing her robe anymore, but shorts and a tank top. She stepped hesitantly forward and Natsu was both excited and wary that she might still be drunk.

"Natsu?" Her voice was low, so small he barely heard her. She took another step, fingers twisting together. "Hi. I'm sorry for just…if I'm bothering you. I just wanted…I feel really stupid right now. Cause of when I was drunk and…making you…" She hesitated and he could hear a tremble in her voice. "I couldn't sleep. I was worried that you hate me now. Or…" He saw a tear fall down her cheek and drip onto the floor. "I'm sorry, Natsu."

Shit. He had made her cry.

"Lucy, you don't have to apologize for anything." He got up and he wanted to reach out to hug her, but…now, that seemed too intimate. "Really. No harm done." He grinned, wide and bright, hoping that she could see that nothing would make him hate her.

"R-really?" She looked up, light finally reaching her face. He fought the dread that hit him with her eyes red and shiny, instead keeping up a cheerful smile to assure her.

"Really. Come on Luce, you know me better than that. You really think I could hate you over something so silly?" His cheeks went a bit red, but he deflected, chuckling and holding the back of his head like all was normal.

She smiled. "I guess not."

"Exactly. So you've got nothing to worry about."

"Natsu." She bit her lip and looked away. "I just…what exactly…happened? I don't remember. I just know what I heard from…from everyone else."

His jaw fell open. The prospect of explaining it to her made him want to jump out that window. He was sure she noticed, because he went pale and lost the ability to function momentarily.

Lucy grabbed her cheeks. "Oh my God, was it that bad?"

"I wouldn't say…bad." He corrected, but then he clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Huh?"

"Nothing." He shook his head, needing to deny that any part of what happened had felt good. More than good. He swallowed nervously.

"Natsu, what happened? Seriously. I'm imagining all sorts of horrible, embarrassing things. You've got to tell me." She panicked, reaching forward like she wanted to shake him by his shirt. But he wasn't wearing a shirt. Her hands fell onto his bare chest and he shuddered.

Natsu kept his arms firmly at his side, his head high and staring over her. He hoped that this would pass and everything would go back to normal. That he could stand to be near her without his body freaking out on him.

Lucy sighed and he looked down without moving his head. She was watching her hands, her fingers moving faintly over his skin.

"You're really warm." She whispered.

"Lucy?"

"Hm? Yeah, Natsu?"

"C-can you please move your hands." He cringed, fighting…he didn't know what he was fighting. Urges? He never fought those before. If he wanted to attack something, he did. If he wanted to eat something, he did. If he wanted to go, or stay, or jump, or run, he just did it. This was the same feeling, except he did know what he wanted. To kiss her, maybe. He did know. He didn't understand, only that he had to resist.

"Sorry." She pulled back quickly and he could breathe.

He let his head sag, drained. "Look, I'm telling you that we're still friends. We'll always be friends—"

"I know." She interrupted, smiling meekly as she titled her head so she could see his face. "I know. Thank you Natsu."

He looked away. "Yeah."

When he didn't hear anything else from her, he chanced a glance down and regretted it. Lucy's lips were parted, her eyes dark as she looked up at his face. He tensed, shifting his eyes away before something crazy happened again.

Lucy put her fingers on her lips, memories surfacing and she blushed suddenly. He waited, not sure if her remembering was good or bad. She might get mad at him like Erza had, and think he took advantage when, clearly, he had been the one taken advantage of. She had been the one pawing at him. Embarrassment began to twist her expression, she looked ready to throw up. He should have let her writhe in it. Served her right, now she could be the one feeling all embarrassed. Instead, he took pity on her.

Natsu sighed, rolled his eyes, and then bent so he could kiss her. Once, quickly—though he did linger—then he ended it. He was looking away from her, refusing to meet her eyes, crossing his arms.

"There. Now we're even." His eyes drifted to her face, then away quickly. She was making him nervous. Just standing there. Say something. Or do something. He was dying here.

"That was…nice." She said.

"Oh, uh, yeah." He agreed, face softening. If she liked it, too, maybe she would want to do it again?

They seemed to stand on the brink of something, though neither was willing to jump. Lucy should have left ages ago, and yet there she stood. Natsu probably should have kicked her out by now, yet he hadn't. Knowing that Lucy didn't mind the whole kissing thing had changed everything. Sure, this situation might come crashing down on them at some point, but for now, it felt okay. Natsu didn't have dread hanging over his head, worried about Lucy's reactions. They seemed to be on the same page. So why were they just standing there?

"Hey, Lucy?"

She jumped, his voice sudden in the quiet that had settled between them. "Yes?"

Hm, her voice was breathy and low. It made continuing a whole lot easier. "I was just thinking and, if you liked kissing me, then why do we have to stop?"

"W-what?" Lucy tensed, her eyes frantic.

"I just don't get why we have to stop if it's something we both want to do."

"You mean you…_like_ kissing me?" She ventured, her voice hesitant.

"Yeah." He smiled, earning a gasp from her.

"Well, I guess, you make sense." She started, chewing on her lip. He waited, looking at her innocently. Lucy blushed and hid her face. "Geez, you don't have to stare at me like that."

"Sorry. I just want you to make up your mind."

"It's sort of a big decision, okay? There's a lot at stake here and unlike you, I don't just jump into things blindly." She scolded.

Natsu shook his head. "You might be happier if you stopped thinking so much. Definitely not as cranky all the time."

"Are you serious right now?" Lucy gaped, her face no longer hidden shyly, but fully glaring and menacing.

"What?"

"You're going to ask me to kiss you while you insult me? Who does that?"

"I'm not insulting you Lucy, I'm trying to help you." He countered, though he was backing away from her. She had gone from cute to scary in seconds. Which was typical Lucy, so he was glad of that much.

"Oh really? Are you sure you aren't just trying to get your hands on me, like some perv, because you think that kissing me gives you the right?"

Natsu raised an eyebrow, completely confused. "Don't be crazy, I never said that. Look, if you don't want to just say so. You don't gotta scream at me first. It was just a question."

Lucy huffed. "I know. It's just not an easy decision for me. I…" her anger quelled and he didn't feel threatened anymore. "I cherish our friendship so much. You're so important to me. This…kissing kind of stuff, it can ruin friendships, you know? I just don't want that to be us…"

"Well, I already told you that nothing can ruin our friendship, so I don't see the problem." He stated, as if that fact solved everything. To him, it was incredibly simple. He trusted them fully. Trusted their relationship. There was no way some kiss was going to bring it all down. No way.

"I know you think that but…"

"You don't?" He snapped, his tone cold. She should know that he wasn't like that. He didn't betray his friends no matter what.

"When you ask me like that, it makes me sound like the silly one." She responded. There was less apprehension in her stance and he tried to ignore it because he was annoyed. She _was_ the silly one.

He huffed and crossed his arms. Maybe he didn't want to kiss her anymore. She might think about that. He could just as easily go to bed without another word to her. _He_ might be the one second guessing things now and she will have missed her chance. Serves her right.

"You know I trust you Natsu." She said, but he was venting to himself, grinning at the thought of turning the tables on her. "And…if I'm being honest…kissing you isn't so bad." She smiled to herself.

_Ha, I'll just tell her that I changed my mind. Yeah. On second thought, Lucy, I don't think I want to kiss you at all._

"And I suppose if you're that confident in us, then I should be too…"

_Your lips aren't even that soft. I'd sooner kiss Happy._

"Okay."

_Sorry Lucy, but I'm not—_

"Say what?" Natsu met her eyes, sure he had heard her agree.

"I said, okay. You're right." Her posture changed again, coyly turning her shoulder on him and biting her lip. Natsu felt he had missed part of the conversation. The last thing he knew, they were arguing.

"I…am?"

She smiled, stepping closer. "Do you want to kiss me or not?"

Whatever. How he got there didn't matter. He nodded, grinning down at her mouth, anticipation mounting. He'd done this a few times by now, so he felt pretty confident he knew what he was doing. He dipped his head and relished in that soft pressure warm on his lips. Breathing her in, thankful that she no longer smelled like sake, but like Lucy. He could get used to this.

Lucy sighed, pushing into him as she stepped forward. Her fingers moved up the side of his neck, tentatively threading through his hair.

Natsu paused. The scratch of her nails in his hair was a surprise, but a welcome one. He concentrated on the gentle feel of it as he let his lips rest on hers. There wasn't a whole lot to do while kissing, he considered, now having done it a few times. He should probably do something with his hands too, so he reached out and wormed his arms between hers, so he could reach her face.

It wasn't the most comfortable position, but she was touching his head, so he thought he'd touch hers. His hands were gentle as he ran his thumb over her cheeks, Lucy always seemed so breakable, even though he knew she could be tough. He was just getting into the addition of hands, when Lucy's lips opened. Suddenly, he wasn't just dealing with gentle pressure, but with movement. Her lips closed over his mouth, hands pulling him closer, and his muscles went rigid.

Lucy moaned softly, working her mouth over his smoothly and quiet sucking sounds popped between them. He was about to catch up, opening his mouth to try and match her, but Lucy wasn't done. When he parted his lips, her tongue grazed over them. His breath caught in his throat, his eyes opening wide. Is this really how kissing was supposed to work? Or was she breaking the rules because it just felt so good.

He tried to mimic her, opening his mouth and letting his tongue trace her lips. Lucy groaned and arched into him, her hands pulling lightly on his hair. That combination was the best yet, so he tried to get more of it.

Neither of them had much experience. Kissing was instinctual, but there was finesse that both of them lacked. Everything was wet. Natsu had a taste of her now and he was more eager to use his tongue than anything. He traced her entire mouth, dipping inside and grinning at the sounds she made in response.

He pulled back to get air, licking his own lips like an animal after a meal. "You taste even better than you smell." He said, the timbre of his voice low and husky.

"Uh…" She started, but he didn't give her time for a real response. He guided her head up, gently with his hands on her jaw, so he could get a better angle. Lucy hummed into his mouth, and Natsu devoured each sound and vibration.

"We should do this more often." He said, breaking from her mouth and then claiming it again.

Lucy blinked, her hands still on the back of his head as he explored her mouth. She was just falling back into the bliss of it when he pulled away again.

"Can I do this other places?" He asked, with such an innocent curiosity that it contradicted the carnal way he had been kissing her seconds ago.

"I…I guess—"

She gasped when he drew his nose up her cheek, tongue flicking out experimentally. He moved, lips and tongue, over her face and then down her jaw. Lucy was pulling on his hair, throwing her head back so that her neck was open.

He paused at the skin on her neck. Lucy's hands had fisted tightly in his hair when he started, and her hips had bumped against his. Testing the reaction, he continued to move his mouth over one spot, feeling her begin to writhe. _Taste. Taste. Taste._ He gently bit down, teeth grazing along her skin and Lucy lost her balance.

Natsu caught her weight, grinning. "Does that feel good?"

She nodded.

"Cool." He said and Lucy raised an eyebrow at the expression before he was dipping his head into her neck again. He wanted to move further, lips and teeth moving down her neck as she leaned backward in his arms. He supported her back as more and more skin was left open to him. He reached the top of her shirt and paused.

"Natsu?"

"Yeah?" He moved his eyes from her chest to see her face. Her cheeks were red and she was panting. She began to pull herself upright, using his shoulders for leverage.

"You need to slow down, you're not giving me any time." She tapped her fingers on his shoulder, a smirk growing on her lips.

"Sorry." He grinned, beaming and making her heart flutter. "What do you need time for?"

She trailed her nails over his shoulder, pulling them down his chest. He watched her eyes, the brown nearly completely consumed by the black and scorching his blood. He shook off the haze that began to cloud his eyes. This wasn't a fight, he couldn't lose control like that.

Lucy bumped his chin with her nose, making him lift his head so she could reach his neck. Her mouth was gentle, kissing and sucking faintly. His eyes fell closed, drifting into the sensations she was causing. It did feel good, he agreed. Her hands trailed over his skin, aimless wandering that started to drop lower. Then Lucy's teeth bit down and Natsu's eyes flew open.

Flames danced under his skin. He didn't know why this would set off his survival instincts. He wasn't in danger and yet he could feel his control slipping, the want to grab Lucy, to tear off that tiny scrap of cloth she called a shirt.

He pushed her back, holding her at arm's length. He needed to calm down. He shook his head, clearing it, and tried to cool his skin. He was burning up. Everywhere. Desire was coursing through his veins and he did not know how to deal with it.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked, reaching out to him.

Natsu looked up, about to assure her that nothing was wrong, when that scent filled his senses again. It was coming from Lucy, a pheromone that he didn't recognize and that made the fire in him blaze. The next thing he knew he was consuming her mouth, ravaging it, pushing her backward until she was slammed against the wall. His palms hit just beside her head, fingers splayed over the plaster. He forced himself to pull away.

Lucy was panting again, her chest rising and falling and Natsu watched with a groan. He couldn't move his eyes away, no matter how hard he tried to stop, he licked his lips without realizing and Lucy shivered.

"Is everything okay, Natsu? What's—"

"I don't want…" Darkness covered his eyes, a devilish grin spreading across his face. He wanted to take her. Possess her. But he couldn't….he couldn't risk hurting her…because he had no idea what he was doing.

The wall behind her head began to burn where his fingers were digging into it. Fire was igniting his skin, though he kept if from reaching her. Shit, this was the worst he had ever craved anything in his life. He was losing himself to it. He needed to get the hell out of there—

Lucy's hands were on his cheek, cool and soft against his skin. She pulled him until his forehead was resting on hers. "What's wrong, Natsu? Talk to me."

"I don't know. It's like…I want you." He said, voice low and dark. "I want you."

He kissed her lips.

_Mine._

He kissed her neck.

_Mine._

He kissed her down her chest.

_Mine._

He lifted a hand and drew his finger down the center of her chest, burning away the fabric until it was falling open.

_Mine._

Shaking his head, he pulled back, just in time for Lucy to pull the ends of her destroyed shirt closed. "I-I'm sorry, Lucy." He pinched his eyes shut, trying to shake the lust from his brain. His limbs were trembling, trying to hold them back, because he wanted to feel her with his hands, but he was afraid to try.

"It's okay." She said.

"I want to take." He panted, tongue tracing his lips for any leftover flavor of her. "I want to take _you_."

"Take me…where?" She said quietly, and the words, even in the wrong context, drove him mad.

He didn't know how to answer her, but his hips were pushing her backward, enlightening both of them. Take.

"Oh." She blushed and Natsu nuzzled the side of her face, breathing in the scent clinging to her hair.

"Natsu…I don't think…we're not nearly ready for anything like that." She said, and then she pushed him back lightly. "We should probably stop."

He nodded. "I know." He didn't want to. No. No stopping. _More._

Lucy chuckled and then she was pulling him into a hug, a chaste hug. "Shh." She soothed, and her hands stroked gently up and down his back. It wasn't sexual, like her touch before, it was calming. He relaxed into her arms, feeling entirely drained of energy.

After a few minutes, his body cooled completely. Lucy spoke into his shoulder, her voice lazy and sleepy.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Are you tired?"

"Yeah."

"Do you want me to stay with you?"

"Yeah." He was nearly asleep in her arms when she suddenly pulled away and he whimpered at the loss.

Lucy chuckled, guiding him toward the bed. He fell into it, not even getting under the covers, and Lucy shook her head and she snuggled in beside him.

"Lucy?" He sounded sad, regretful. His face was down, voice muffled by the blankets. "Do you…do you still want to kiss me again?"

"Oh. Well, yeah. I do."

"You don't…you're not afraid to now? Or…"

Lucy shook her head, rubbing his shoulder affectionately. "Don't be ridiculous. That was incredibly hot, if a little intense. I'm just not used to it. With practice though—"

Natsu lifted his head. "Practice?"

"Of course. How else do we expect to get better at it?"

He grinned.

"Go to sleep, idiot." Lucy pushed his face away, laughing as he started snoring softly. "I will always envy how easily he falls asleep." She mumbled. She positioned herself so she was comfortable; taking the pillow that Natsu hadn't bothered with, and set it behind her head. Her shirt was completely torn open and she fumbled to keep it closed. That was a shame, she liked that outfit. She was going to make him buy her another one, she reasoned, smiling to herself.

Lucy plucked at her bangs as she lay there. She figured it would make sense for her to feel rushed, that in one night they'd jumped fifty levels of intimacy, or something like that. Lucy didn't have anything to compare it too, only what she read or observed in others. So, logically, this was all fast and out of nowhere and not really a smart decision. However, in her heart she couldn't be happier. Optimism aside, she was happy that this had happened. Sure, there was a lot to work out and things were going to change, even Natsu couldn't stop that no matter how stubborn. But he was right when he said that their friendship would always remain. It wasn't like either of them could see the future, more that their relationship and importance to one another was fact, as opposed to emotion. Lucy would always love Natsu, that was a fact. Whether it remained as friends or if, over the course of time, that changed to something romantic. She would still always love and care about him. He obviously felt the same, which made her feel silly for worrying.

Lucy closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth radiating next to her side. He was like a heater. The day caught up with her shortly, her eyes drifting closed. They had time, after all, to figure things out.

* * *

**A/N: Basically, I have this idea for Natsu and Lucy's...um, physical relationship that I haven't ever seen played out. I have read a lot of fic about these two and I have never seen their physical dynamics explored quite this way before. Hopefully people won't hate it. Thank you for reading. ^_^**

**EDIT: This is now going to be on-going. I don't have a plan, so this will probably just end up a series of chapters of Natsu and Lucy exploring a new relationship together.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So, this was not my original plan for this chapter. It was supposed to be a simple two shot thing, this chapter being years later where they've already got their relationship under control and yeah. But it was requested that I make this a multichapter and I guess I can indulge since the idea seemed to work. I'm a slow updater, though, so sorry about that. This chapter isn't M rated cause I decided to slow things down with the plot. I don't have any plans, of if anyone has something they want specifically, I might be able to work it in. Hopefully you guys enjoy it. ^_^**

**PART TWO**

Natsu was awake before he opened his eyes. The sun warmed his skin and it was bright even through his eyelids. When he tried to shift position, he bumped into Lucy. Careful not to wake her—it was too early to be yelled at—he turned so he was on his back and thought nothing of Lucy sleeping next to him on top of a messy pile of covers. Natsu threw his hand over his eyes to shade them and began to drift back to sleep.

But he was awake enough to recount _why_ Lucy was sleeping next to him. His eyes opened as he sucked in a quick breath of air. Sleeping had never been awkward between them. He'd slept at her house enough times that he had figured himself comfortable with her. The hard thump of his heart against his ribs was new and when he peered sideways, it did not feel comfortable. Chancing movement, he turned back onto his side so he could face her directly.

Eh, this wasn't so bad. It was actually kind of exciting. There were so many things he had never noticed about Lucy before. She was a girl, for one. Not that he hadn't noticed she was a girl before, obviously he knew the difference, but suddenly those differences were highlighted in feminine contrast with everything he had already known. There were traces of make-up on her face from the night before, a bit of shadow and mascara lingering on her eyelashes. He inched closer, watching the slight part of her lips open and close with each breath. Black eyes followed the line of her cheeks—rounder, almost chubby from the way she was laying—with exhilarating curiosity. He had seen Lucy before, but had he really _seen_ her?

With a sigh, she stirred and he was ready to pounce. _Come on. Wake up, Lucy._

She settled contentedly back into slumber and he pouted. How much longer could she sleep? He began to fidget.

The tension in his muscles, the rise and fall of excitement had left him too wired to go back to sleep. Had he woken on any other morning, Lucy with him or not, he would have promptly left to find food. Impatience flared in his chest. With a wicked twist to his lips, he leaned in, because the impulse struck him and he was not one to deny an impulse. Carefully, wary of her eyes should they open, he blew a gust of air over her cheek.

Lucy didn't move.

Impish delight lit his eyes as he braced himself on his hands to hover over her. There was a boundary just begging to be tested. Hiding a snicker, he bent down and scraped his lips over her exposed cheek. Lucy took in a breath and he retreated, but she didn't wake. He used the tip of his finger to sweep her hair away from her face, working the strands so they fell over her back and out of his way. Her steady breathing didn't falter, so he risked a bit more, breathing out hot air over her neck and letting his teeth catch on her jaw.

No reaction.

Brow drawn with frustration—he had been sure she would wake up that time—Natsu chanced a kiss to the corner of her mouth. He lingered longer than intended, his eyes beginning to fall closed, and was completely thrown off his balance when Lucy's hands caught him around the neck. He was too shocked to fight back and she rolled him backward and landed straddling him against the mattress.

"Gotcha." Her eyes were alert and playful, her grip on him just short of threatening. "What'd you think you're doing, huh?" There was a purr in her voice that temporarily stunned him. A neuron misfiring in his brain as a chill crawled up his spine.

"Natsu?" She pressed, both with her tone and her body.

He shook the haze away and regained his humor, lighting up in a grin, "Sorry. You just looked so cute I couldn't help myself." Sharp teeth flashed as a grin spread up his cheeks and Lucy's hands fell away from his neck.

She twisted over him, eyes casting away shyly. "R-really?"

"Yeah." He caught her quickly behind the back of her head with his hand, sitting up as he pulled her down. "Plus, now I get to do this again." Hot air puffed over Lucy's mouth, drawing a squeak of surprise. Natsu figured he had the hang of this kissing thing and let his parted lips draw completely over Lucy's before pulling back slightly and frowning. "You're not doing anything."

Lucy's hand hovered near her mouth, brown eyes impossibly wide. "I…uh." She shook her head. "Sorry. Natsu. I just…I'm really not used to this…" She was breathless, which he might have picked up on had he not felt mildly offended. With a smile she knocked him in the shoulder with her palm. "It's not that I don't like it."

"Okay." He shifted, not sure if that meant she wanted him to continue or to stop. He was looking around the room, still struggling with what he was expected to do, when her nose nudged his cheek.

"We don't have to stop, you know. You just threw me off." Her voice was low, her breath warm on his skin. She kissed his cheek lightly and his skin burned, blushing at the innocent gesture. She seemed to find it sweet because she chuckled lightly, still hovering near his face, with her eyelids lowered and a flushed glow that created a picture that once again rendered him a gaping statue.

She inched closer, forgetting that she was mostly in his lap, and the shuffling friction pulled him from his stupor. As she leaned her head down expectantly, his eyes were drawn downward, to the tank-top that was still torn in two that now draped like a vest. When Lucy caught on that her shirt had fallen open, she yelped and pulled it together firmly.

Keeping his eyes averted, Natsu fumbled with the blanket until he had pulled enough free to wrap around her shoulders. It was nothing he hadn't seen before, but he figured that Lucy, like him, was finding that everything wasn't quite the same between them anymore. Though, when he thought about it, she'd _never_ really liked him looking at her naked.

"Thanks." She mumbled, red staining her cheeks all the way to her ears.

"Don't mention it."

Letting out a breath, he leaned back on one of his hands and scratched the back of his head. "Guess you were right. This is a bit more complicated than I thought."

Lucy twisted her fingers together, head bowed. "Yeah. I guess I was."

There was a short lull, Natsu trying to ignore the fact that he could feel every small, minuscule fidget from her still seated in his lap. He swallowed, collecting his thoughts onto objects he could see from his position.

_Lamp._ Lucy's thighs flexed as she adjusted the blanket. _Uh, uh, door. Door handle._ Lucy shifting forward, forcing her hips to roll just hard enough through the blankets for him to definitely feel it. _WINDOW. CARPET. PLANT. LEAF. P-PLANT._

"Natsu?"

"Yes!" He shook his head, clearing his throat so his voice didn't squeak again. "Uh, yeah? What is it?"

"You don't regret it do you? Kissing me?" She was still twisting her fingers around and her shifty eyes were concerning.

"No." He said firmly and she finally looked up as he crossed his arms. "You're always so unsure of everything, Luce. But I'm not like that. I may make hasty decisions, but I stick with them. And I don't see how kissing you could be a mistake when I just want to do it again."

She smiled. "But it's so much more than that, Natsu. Kissing is…for me it's not just some activity to do with your…with my best friend, you know? It means something."

"Okay. Yeah. Like what?" He wasn't entirely following her, but he was still confident in his choices.

Lucy pulled the blanket closer around her shoulders. "Well, for one, it would mean that we're together."

Natsu chuckled. "Well, duh. I mean, we're pretty much always together so that's not really so different."

Growling, Lucy shook her head. "No. Not like…physically in each other's presence. I mean, _together_. Like, partners but more than that. You do know what dating is right?"

"Yeah, Lucy, I'm not an idiot." He spat, but then leaned backward on his hands to recall what dating meant. He wasn't an idiot, he did know, but not so readily that he could just call up a definition as easily as she could. Still, she didn't need to know that.

"Well, that's what we would be, if we keep this up. We'd be dating."

He started to scratch hard at the hair on the back of his head. "So I gotta take you out to dinner?"

Huffing, Lucy's voice began to rise, gaining its full ferocity. "Yeah. Don't sound too happy though, wouldn't want me to get the wrong idea."

"I am. I mean, I didn't mean…you're talking in circles." He protested, still trying to piece along this conversation. This was turning out to be hard and he was beginning to regret not eating anything. "I was just saying that, dating means going out to dinner, right? So that's what you want? Food?"

Lucy slapped her forehead. "Okay. From the top. Yes, dating does include going out to dinner. But it also includes going out to _other_ places." She was in teacher mode and her finger rose up sternly as she carried on with her lesson. "There will be romance. And we'd have to get each other special gifts for birthdays and anniversaries. Exclusivity, which means there is no kissing other people. At all. Ever." Her eyes narrowed like he'd already tried.

Natsu was beginning to understand, and he tried rewording her ramblings into something simple to grasp onto. "So, friends who get to kiss?"

Lucy's eye twitched. "Sort of. I suppose it's not incorrect to word it exactly like that. But there's all that other stuff too—"

Natsu waved her words off. "I already like spending time with you, if you want to call it a date when we eat dinner then that's cool with me. And I like kissing ya, so no complaints there. I can handle presents or whatever…and I don't want to kiss anyone else, so is that everything? Are we dating now?" He leaned forward, gaze drawn to her mouth.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "That's basically it, yeah. I mean, there's the whole…physical part and the fact that dating implies a leave of…liking someone that goes beyond friendship. And you've got to actually plan dinners and activities and stuff. It can't be like before where we just eat, but now we say it's a date. We've got get dressed up sometimes and you've got to bring it up in advance, to make it more official. You've got to ask me to go to dinner with you, so that it becomes a date."

He grinned, hand landing lightly on her shoulder. "In that case, Lucy wanna get dinner with me tonight?"

She started, blinking as he innocently awaited her acceptance. "I…yeah. That would be nice."

"Cool. Then it's a date." He leaned forward and then stopped inches from her mouth. "I get to kiss you now, right?"

Lucy huffed, taking a second to answer and leaving him hovering. Finally, her hand slipped from the covers and caught him by the back of the neck, pulling him the rest of the way to her. She settled her lips on him with a soft sigh, chuckling as he grinned against her mouth and returned the kiss more firmly. Lucy draped her arms over his shoulders, extending them to hang in the air behind him. She set a lazy pace, lips coming together and pulling apart with loud, drawn out breaths and sighs. He missed the feel of nails in his hair, but this wasn't bad either. It was comfortable, an easy thrill that wasn't so much exciting as it was satisfying.

Lucy pulled away slightly, giggling when he tried to follow her with a frustrated growl. "How long do we have before we should find the others?"

Natsu frowned, hands working around her back, over the blanket, so he could pull her close. "They can wait."

His lips were halted by Lucy's finger, making him pout. "We can't stay in here all morning. They'll come looking for us. I'm surprised Happy hasn't found us already."

"He's probably stuffing his face with fish. He won't come looking for me until he's bored." Natsu gave another impatient growl against Lucy's palm.

"Speaking of, we should decide what we're going to tell them."

Natsu blinked. "Tell them what?"

"About us."

Natsu froze, a flash of Erza's livid face, her eyes glowing like demon orbs in her fury to kill him for kissing Lucy earlier. "Uh, maybe we don't say anything just yet. Like, keep it a secret. Yeah? Cause, it's uh…not like anyone would even care or want me dead." He chuckled as he continued to force a smile.

"What do you mean want you dead?" Lucy continued without letting him answer. "And they're going to find out, Natsu. They're our friends. They'll be happy for us."

"Eh, I'm not so sure." Natsu scratched at his cheek.

Lucy sighed. "If it's that important to you, we can keep it a secret. But I can't promise it'll last. Especially not with how nosy everyone in this guild tends to be. They'll probably figure out something's up pretty quick." Her gaze softened and she dove to steal a quick kiss before he could react. "Anyway, I should probably get back to my room, since the only clothes I have are, well, destroyed."

Blood pooled in his cheeks as she began to get up, keeping the blanket pulled around her. Natsu followed her, stretching.

"Hey, you can wear my robe back to your room if you want." He handed it to her and she turned to put it on with a cheery 'thank you.' Lucy fluffed out her hair, something that might have slipped his notice a day ago, but today was an entirely new source of mystery. The way the light caught each strand and the smell that wafted through the air, this was a whole new set of sensations he was not used to feeling.

Lucy hesitated near the door, grinning over her shoulder as she waited for him. "Well. Are you going to say goodbye?"

Natsu blinked. "You're just going down the hall."

Lucy rolled her eyes and he could see that the comment had torn at her patience. "Just get over here and kiss me goodbye."

Had he known that kissing was involved he'd have obliged without question. He caught her in both arms, kissing her firmly, and lifting her off the ground. He spun her once, drinking in her laughter through the haphazard angle of their mouths. The sweet melody of her laugh was intoxicating, a pure sound that to him, was the truest form of happiness.

The contact and pressure of her mouth felt good, their heads trying to align properly with Lucy still hovering in the air and her giggles still tumbling from her lips…it was innocent and rewarding. But it was the taste that he craved. Tasting her was his favorite part. His tongue worked boldly between her lips, drawing a short gasp and then faint moan that was somehow more satisfying than the kiss itself. A different kind of satisfying than her laughter, this was a more primal satisfaction, darker and less friendly. In seconds they were breathless, loud and messy, sucking and pulling and occasionally biting, both of them swept into a lusty haze of instinct. Lucy's leg began to lift, her thighs brushing his hips.

He could feel the friction burn up his body. Igniting and scorching as smooth skin scraped above the waistband of his shorts, her legs turning into vices. Natsu could sense his descent, a pull on his consciousness that demanded action. Lucy's delicate little moans, those faint whimpers as his hands stretched boldly down her back, farther until they curved along her leg, sharp nails biting into the skin of her thigh.

Lucy gasped, a slight hesitation in the movement of her mouth. And it fueled him to push her, drive her backward so she was pinned. He tried to be gentle, but gentle a struggle. He hovered near her mouth, breathing and calculating. He should stop, he should calm down. He let out a breath, thick with heat as flames danced in his throat.

Her hands moved to his shoulders, her touch gentle.

His nose traced along her jaw, working up to her ear so he could bite, as lightly as possible, before breathing out through his nose, a puff of smoke wafting up between them. She was so damn soft, all curves begging to be squeezed. Natsu dropped his head.

He needed to calm down.

He set her down on her feet, eyes veiled in shadow. Fire tickled the sides of his mouth and he swallowed.

His head fell onto her shoulder. The tremble in his limbs, the force of holding back working at every reserve of strength, began to steady.

He breathed in once, sharply and exhaled slowly. Calm.

Lucy stroked the back of his head and he felt his heart rate finally fall.

"Is everything okay?" She was quiet, not accusing, but there was a note of anxiousness in her tone. "The same thing happened last night."

Natsu lifted his head, feeling heavy and drained. Like a fight that had gone on for too long, taking too much energy. "Not sure." He understood, and yet, he was completely clueless. Was it just instinct? Were they that demanding that it literally burned him from the inside? It was Lucy, she was not an enemy. And yet when she was so delicious and eager, squirming in his hands and into his mouth, desire would just crash over him with a force he couldn't control. It would seize him in an instant, a shift without warning. He didn't think he could ever hurt Lucy, but if he couldn't control this…there was a chance he could slip and do something he regretted.

He pulled away, guilt making him wince. "Sorry, Lucy."

"Don't." She took his hand and he tensed.

"You should…you should probably go." He swallowed, trying to smile. "Okay? Like you said, someone's going to begin to wonder where we are."

"I'm not leaving if you're not okay." She protested stubbornly.

Smiling became easier and he set his hand on top of her head. "I'm fine, Lucy. Really. Just go get changed and don't worry about a thing. Okay?"

She wasn't convinced as she pushed his hand off her head. "If you don't want to talk about it, fine. I can respect that." She put a finger in his face. "For now." With a flick of her hair she headed for the door. Stopping, she spun and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly before kissing him once, then twice on the mouth.

"Goodbye then." Lucy said as she pulled away.

"See ya." He grinned, pulling away and opening the door for her. Lucy gawked for half a second before shaking her head and leaving with a knowing smile on her lips. Natsu shut the door behind her, looking at the empty room and frowning. The space was so empty now. Worry had begun to settle into his mind as he faced the emptiness. He wasn't a worrier. Things happened, you deal, you move on. But he'd never been in this kind of situation before. He looked down at his hands, then down toward his feet. He needed to get things under control. He couldn't keep kissing Lucy if there was a chance he could literally set her on fire without meaning to.

Natsu threw on his clothes and ran a toothbrush over his teeth. He'd figure something out, hopefully. Cause the other option was to stop kissing Lucy and that idea made him laugh. In fact, he was already out the door and hoping that Lucy would be done changing soon.

* * *

**A/N: So for next time, I might include the dinner? Maybe a bit of interaction with other characters? We'll see how it plays out. I don't know much about the story when this OVA took place. I'm still on episode 90, so I don't know anything past that besides some spoilers. Which basically means I'm gonna try and steer clear of actual plot lines and stick with the relationship as the focus. Hope you enjoyed the chapter (and everyone is in character enough to be believable). Thanks for reading. :)  
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